10 Cozy Romances to Snuggle Up With this Fall
As we enter into the cozy season, it’s time to read some cozy romances. The minute the air gets crisp, and the leaves start to yellow, I’m ready to read some love stories under a snuggly blanket with a warm blanket. I don’t know about you, but as we transition into the autumn season, these kinds of romance novels are pretty much all I want to be reading.
The romance novels on this list are basically the book equivalent of tuning into the Hallmark channel or ordering a pumpkin spice latte. These stories are sexy and sweet (and I mean sweet as in they make me go “awww,” not as in sex is off the page). But they go beyond that. They feature some of the most romantic cozy settings. Get ready for small towns, neighborhood coffee shops, bookstores, bakeries, bed and breakfasts, and even a Christmas tree farm. But the coziest part of all is the love stories the characters in these books share. With books featuring fake dating, friends to lovers, and forced proximity, there is truly something for everyone.
It’s time to find your comfiest reading spot and cozy up to one (or more!) of these heartwarming love stories.
Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson
What could be cozier than a knitting store and a friends-to-lovers romance? When Jesse’s adoptive mother dies, his brothers want to close the knitting store she ran in Harlem. But Jesse wants to keep the beloved neighborhood favorite running as a tribute to his mom. He turns to his childhood best friend Kerry for help reinvigorating the business and making the store thrive. The chemistry that builds between them feels like much more than friendship, and Kerry has always had a crush on him. But she’s seen him date half the neighborhood, leaving a string of broken hearts, and she doesn’t trust that he’s capable of a true, long-term relationship.
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
A flower farm is a perfect place to find love. However, that’s not what Opal is looking for when she buys Thistle and Bloom Farms with the rest of her dwindling lottery money. She just wants to get away from all the people in her life using her for her newfound winnings and to start a painting business in a beautiful place. But when she arrives at the North Carolina farm, Pepper is there. Pepper claims to be the rightful owner of the farm. The pair decides to share the property, at least for now. Cohabitation starts out difficult for these totally opposite people. But the line between hate and love is thin. And the banter and chemistry between the arguing duo is undeniable.
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
Drew is a — gasp! — book-hater who just inherited a bookshop called the Book Nook from her grandmother. Jasper is a bestselling author who is determined to show Drew the pleasure of reading after meeting her at a Book Nook event. He makes her a bookish bucket list. In return, she helps him explore life in Denver for his upcoming book. I literally can’t imagine anything more romantic than someone making me a reading list, so this is definitely one that I swooned over big time.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I could basically have put any of Emily Henry’s romance novels on this list. But, after some deep angst about the decision, I decided this one was the coziest because it has both a bookshop *and* a small-town romance. Seriously, reading this book is the equivalent of snuggling up under a blanket with a giant mug of tea. Nora loves her fast-paced NYC life as a successful literary agent. But the men she dates always seem to move on to quieter, small-town women. It’s happened so much that she’s kind of developed a complex about it. So her sister convinces her to spend a month in Sunshine Falls, a small town in North Carolina, for her own small-town makeover and perhaps even romance. But she keeps running into Charlie, a highly successful and not very pleasant editor Nora knows from her work. Is there more to Charlie than meets the eye? Like perhaps the family bookshop he’s helping to run. Or the loyalty and sweetness that hide behind his moody exterior.
The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin
In another very adorable small-town romance, June is a typical oldest daughter: always trying to hold everything and everyone together. But lately, between her family inn not having enough guests and her mother’s medical debts, it feels like nothing can go right. Then, Clay comes to the door for help opening a new local bar. He’s an ex-soldier and wants to open the bar as a tribute to his best friend who lived in this small town and always dreamed of doing the same before his untimely death. June agrees to help Clay. She figures it might bring more tourism to town and help her family business, especially if it can open in time for the Pumpkin Festival. These two opposites can’t help but attract each other once they have a shared goal to work towards!
Falling for Autumn (Again) by Jen Atkinson
Ready for a closed-door, second chance romance set at — brace yourself — a Christmas tree farm? Bring on the cozy with the story of Autumn and Ezra. Ten years ago, they were desperate for each other and to get out of their small Wyoming town. When Autumn learned of her father’s illness, she broke up with Ezra so he would still leave — breaking both of their hearts in the process. Now, he’s back in town, and he’s been hired by her best friend and boss to design the bistro at the Christmas tree farm where she works. If you want more closed-door romances with cozy, fall vibes, there are eight books in the Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series, each by a different author. Paris, Pumpkins & Puns by Marion De Ré and Cinnamon and Cinnamon & Spice Conundrum by Leah Busboom both look particularly adorable!
A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
What is more warm and fuzzy than falling in love while cooking? How about falling in love while cooking in a quaint small town in Maine? When Xavier is dumped and rejected from his dream fellowship, that’s where he ends up. Logan, a sexy single father and chef, doesn’t want to hire him at first. But he’s desperate for help in the kitchen. Sparks fly (both literally and figuratively) as these two find their rhythm — in the kitchen and in their personal lives. Get ready to swoon; this one is so dreamy.
Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
Donovan is a professional football player and cupcake bakeshop owner. He is worried about making sure his new business is a success. Meanwhile, Jada is hated by all of America after turning down a proposal on a reality TV show, and she’s in dire straights after her parents cut her off financially. At first, she just wants a job. But when a reporter believes the two are dating, an enemies-to-fake dating-to-lovers plot unfolds that is sweet as frosting and totally hilarious.
Deja Brew by Celestine Martin
Here’s another cozy, cooking-themed romance, with a dash of paranormal added in. After an October where her cooking powers aren’t working and nothing can go right, Sirena makes a wish for a second chance to fix her life. She wakes up and it’s October 1st again. She now has the chance to repeat the month and, hopefully, make things go differently. Things start going better when she runs into Gus, who offers to fix her cooking powers if she can help him make sense of a mysterious cookbook. If you want a lightly paranormal romance with slow-burn, friends-to-lovers tropes and autumn vibes up the wazoo, look no further!
The Next Always by Nora Roberts
I decided to go back to a classic for the last of these cozy romances with legendary romance author Nora Roberts. I have easily read over a hundred of her novels. And, in my humble opinion, this is both her coziest love story and one of her best. The Montgomery brothers are renovating a historic Maryland hotel to turn it into a bed and breakfast. Beckett is the architect of the family. He’s completely dedicated to his work and has basically no social life. This is because he’s been pining after Clare since they were teenagers. Clare is a widow, single mother, and bookshop owner. Romance has been the last thing on her mind. But she feels unexplainably drawn to learn more about the renovation of the old inn and spend time with the architect behind it. This is one that I’ve read and reread many times. You can’t go wrong with Nora!
Bookshops and small towns and cupcakes, oh my! I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite cozy romances. I plan to cuddle up with several of these this autumn. And I highly suggest you do the same! If you want more warm and fuzzy reads this season, peruse this list of cozy love stories or this one filled with romantic cozy mysteries.